Clear Advantage for the Seeded Team
Group I of the 2026 World Cup presents a landscape where the seeded team stands alone, while the other three sides are locked in a fierce battle. France, ranked 2nd by FIFA, is the strongest seeded team in the group and has recently been on an upward trajectory. In their last five friendly matches, France demonstrated potent attacking firepower, not only thrashing Ukraine 4-0, but also defeating Colombia and Azerbaijan 3-1 each, and beating Brazil 2-1, with their only loss being a 1-2 defeat to Ivory Coast. With their formidable strength and consistent form, France is undoubtedly the team with the most secure path to qualification in this group.
Norway and Senegal Vie for Second Place
Norway, ranked 31st by FIFA and currently on the rise, has the potential to be a dark horse. Norway has performed impressively in recent friendlies, securing 4-1 victories over Italy and Estonia, and a 3-1 win against Sweden, with only a 1-2 loss to the Netherlands, demonstrating a strong ability to pick up points. In contrast, 18th-ranked Senegal has shown steady form recently; while they have wins against Peru (2-0) and Egypt (1-0), they also suffered defeats to Morocco (0-3) and the United States (2-3). These two teams will be each other's most direct rivals.
Iraq Faces a Severe Test
The lowest-ranked team in the group is Iraq, sitting at 58th in the world. Although they managed a 1-1 draw against Spain and a 1-0 victory over Andorra in friendlies, they subsequently suffered consecutive losses to Jordan (0-1) and Algeria (0-2). With their overall strength and recent form both at a disadvantage, they are the team in the most precarious position in the group. According to the schedule, the opening match between France and Senegal on June 16, and the direct clash between Norway and Senegal on June 23, will be the key battles that determine the group's qualifying spots.